What do i paint my frame rail with?

njfarmer · Mar 24, 2012

I took the bed off of my f350 truck and want to clean up and paint the frame rails. what is the best way to get the rust off? Also what is the best product i can use to coat the rails with

Janicholson · Mar 24, 2012

Mask all non frame components and sand (or abrasive blast it. Then prime with epoxy primer and emron (or other equal) paint. Best, yes expensive yes. Jim

casecollectorsc · Mar 24, 2012

A product called POR 15 is what you need!!

JRSutton · Mar 25, 2012

I haven't used the por15 yet myself, but I've heard a lot of good stuff about it.

You still want to get at least the loose rust off.

A (good - $20) wire cup brush in an angle grinder is perfect for that.

Sandblasting is a good option too, if you've got one.

With the por15, I don't think it's really nescessary to be too complete. If it were me and I chose to sandblast, I'd just hit each area till the brown cloud of rust dust goes away. I wouldn't be aiming for bare metal over the whole frame - just unnecessary work.

Chris(WA) · Mar 25, 2012

I second the POR-15. Great stuff!

ss55 · Mar 25, 2012

I'll second the recomendations to use POR-15 or a similar rust inhibitor as part of the preparation for painting. It is an acid (phosphoric acid, I can't remember) that converts the rust to a less active compound, similar to a black oxide treatment. Many brands are available, most hardware stores carry some less expensivew versions or POR-15 that work just as well, like Rust-oleum Rust Reformer. I used it in 2006 to clean up a very rust pitted anvil, that paint is still good.

The original "paint" on most vehicle chassis used to be a thick heavy wax mixture that the parts are dipped into. It dries out over the years and thins until it starts to look like regular paint. If your are taking the time to clean up the rust properly I'd try to re-paint with something close to the original protection that will last a lot longer than a thin coat of spray paint.

Good luck.

showcrop · Mar 26, 2012

When I was getting paint for my dump truck body that I was sandblasting, the counterman at the jobber told me that I needed to acid wash before priming. He explained that it turns little specks of rust that are left, into inert material. I found out that it was phosphoric acid and the instructions said to keep it wet for 10 minutes then clean off with something like final prep. I have used it a lot I wash it after 10 mins. with the pressure washer or small parts I drop in a bucket to clean off.

What do i paint my frame rail with?

njfarmer

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Janicholson

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casecollectorsc

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JRSutton

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Chris(WA)

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ss55

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showcrop

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